Apple looks set to announce the 17in MacBook Pro next week, timing the launch to coincide with the Las Vegas-hosted National Association of Broadcasters convention, a gathering of professional users the company has long pitched its big-screen PowerBook G4 notebooks to.

Past reports had pointed to a June debut for the the 17in MacBook Pro, but reports on Think Secret and AppleInsider separately suggest the announcement will come much sooner, possibly as early as Sunday, 23 April.

The 17in model will sport the same internals as the current 15in MacBook Pro, though possibly with the 2.16GHz Core Duo T2600 as standard rather than as a build-to-order option as it is with the 15in model. Intel is expected to ship a 2.33GHz T2700 this quarter, and that too may be part of the 17in line-up, either as a standard offering or a BTO option. ®